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developing story in our companion publication on the national press eviscerating Stephen LeBert
COMMUNITYMEDIAMEDFORD.COM
http://www.communitymediamedford.com/?p=619
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http://www.communitymediamedford.com/?p=619
234 comments on the Washington Post site
7/30/2015 5:52 PM EST
I
enjoy law and order shows on TV. However, there are many occasions in
these programs that show police acting in less than professional
behaviors. In the shows these are all, basically, good cops, but they
are shown in a human side that is not always appropriate for police. It
occurs to me that maybe our police forces are themselves watching too
much television. After all, these shows are showing exceptions to every
day behavior. If it wasn't different, it wouldn't have any audience.
You "do" have to have a "story" to keep audiences coming back. I'm
willing to bet that, day to day, their experiences are pretty mundane.
My understanding is that it is possible to retire from law enforcement
and never having had to fire a weapon. But that's not "news". Nobody
reports on same old same old. I myself have never ever had an unpleasant
interaction with any law enforcement. They've always been polite and
friendly. I might mention that I am a 5' 1" petite blond. No body has
ever said that I have ever appeared threatening. My husband says that
one look at my big eyes and they just don't have the heart. As a matter
of fact, none of my family members or friends have ever had a bad
experience with police.
7/30/2015 2:40 PM EST
What
about the uniformed officers? Was their response to the reported death
threat adequate here? As far as I can tell, the driver told them he had
received a death threat, and they responded by talking about a sticker
that evidently should be on the plate. Shouldn't the police take a
report of a death threat more seriously than this? I mean, sure, they
had (misplaced) trust in this detective, which is understandable.
Perhaps they considered this "his" traffic stop, and were inclined to be
deferential to the detective. Also undoubtedly some drivers just spew
random accusations when they get pulled over, so I can understand taking
this with some skepticism. But still, this was a reported *death
threat*--I think that's serious! If a primary goal of the police is to
protect us, then shouldn't a death threat be taken more seriously? Even
if it means extra headaches for officers making stops and arrests? What
they did was to pile on instead of even following up in basic ways on
the report. They did not ask for a quote or take down a description of
the circumstances in which the detective allegedly threatened the
driver. The driver even said he was frightened and asked for their help.
Perhaps they dismissed this as a ploy on his part--dismissed it too
quickly. Cops have a hugely dangerous job, which I appreciate. I know
some personally, and they are admirable individuals. Cops have come
through in heroic ways again and again. But the fact that this can be a
dangerous job does not explain why they didn't take down the specifics
of this reported death threat. But reading the news recently, and
especially seeing the videos, I find myself losing a significant chunk
of my respect. Some cops out there actually seem to be the very problem
we have hired them to solve! And others may be ready to enable them. And
yes, the available evidence suggests that blacks and minorities get
this kind of treatment much worse than whites.
I'd have to say, cowards. Now- not all cops; certainly. But our police forces seem to contain too many - cowards - who just should never have been put on the force.